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I am currently looking into purchasing a digital piano. I've been playing for many years now on mostly acoustics, but I really like the added features that come with digital pianos (playing with headphones, recording, different tones, no regular tuning, etc...).

I've tested out several different mid/higher-end digital pianos from Yamaha, Kawai and Roland, and I'm pretty confident that I've decided to go with the Roland LX-15. The only other models that I'm curious about would be the Yamaha NU1 and the Yamaha AvantGrand N1.

This will be my first digital piano and I want to make sure that I make the right choice, particularly since the Roland LX-15 is very pricey here in Canada (~$6400).

I've been reading through a number of other threads on these forums about the Roland LX-15. Now that a fair bit of time has passed since those posts, I'd be interested to hear the thoughts and experiences of any LX-15 owners out there.

Don't let anyone steer you away from getting the Roland LX-15 as Kurzweil has a "Fatar" action which is not as reliable as the Roland action especially if something were to go wrong or needs fixing. Stick with Roland for dependable service and support.

The PHAIII action in the LX-15 is as good as it gets and you also will have some very nice "Piano Designer" modeling features which have been taken from the Roland V-Piano.

If..... Kurzweil upgraded the CUP2 with the renewed Fatar TP40Wood (triple sensor) AND the new Grand Piano from the 'Artis' it would be a more serious contender. I don't think that will be a very difficult job to do ; exchange the keybed for the upgraded version and add the new AP sound engine (no other frilsl required, just good piano sound). If the price can stay reasonable , the CUP2 with it's nice cabinet and powerful amp / speaker system is then more worth a serious try. Just a consideration ;-) (Edit: without these enhancements : no match for the LX-15)

I did have a chance to play around with the LX-15's "Piano Designer" when I tried it out at a local piano store. It was really neat to be able to customize every detail of the piano's sound, like the hammer noise and how open or closed the lid was. It's one of those things that I'd probably set up initially, rather than messing with it on a regular basis, but it's nice to have options.

I'll admit I know hardly anything about the CUP2 since I exclusively looked at Roland, Yamaha and Kawai. It sounds like the LX-15 has quite a number of added benefits over the CUP2, although it may be a bit of an unfair comparison given the very different price points

Thanks for the tip. You are absolutely right that the HP-507 is the more economical choice. After comparing the two a little more closely, I think the premium paid for the LX-15 goes towards the additional speakers, adjustable top lid, upgraded cabinet and having the "top of the line" upright model. Did I miss anything?

That said, the piano I end up getting will be in a focal point of my living room, so I think I'm okay with spending a bit extra.

Thanks for the tip. You are absolutely right that the HP-507 is the more economical choice. After comparing the two a little more closely, I think the premium paid for the LX-15 goes towards the additional speakers, adjustable top lid, upgraded cabinet and having the "top of the line" upright model. Did I miss anything?

That said, the piano I end up getting will be in a focal point of my living room, so I think I'm okay with spending a bit extra.

As far as I am informed there is no other extras, only the speakers and a mechanically to open to lid which can let the sound spread in an alternative way. ThatÂ´s nothing worth to consider with headphone playing, of course. The 'upgraded cabinet' is then the optical thing you mainly pay the expensive extra price for, and, well, commercials of course try the support selling this unit better by calling it 'top of the line', but this does not mean that the 507 would not be the excactly same 'top of the line' besides the difference in the luxury of the design of the wooden cabinet. So, if the cabinet designs matter to you, then the decicision is easy. If it doesnÂ´t matter, then you seriously should compare if you can actually hear (because of the speakers and lid) a difference in sound projection worth so much extra money.

In my opinion, there is an audible difference between the HP507 and the LX15 - it's not just the cabinet appearance. The speakers seemed to be of better quality and are oriented differently. If money was not a huge factor, I'd take the LX15, for sure.

I didn't mean to suggest that having the "flagship" or "top of the line" model was a feature in and of itself. I was just trying to say that Roland probably makes a higher profit margin on this unit because it's the top of the line upright model and they can get away with it. This fact might account for some of the extra cost over the HP-507. I probably could have been more clear

In any case, thanks for your comments. I'll take another trip to my local piano store to see if there is an audible difference between the HP-507 and the LX-15. For an extra $2000, there had better be!

I'm hoping that I'll be able to hear the noticeable difference between the HP-507 and the LX-15. Either one is within my budget, but I'm going to try them both again in the store just to make sure before spending the extra money.

What I noticed in Toronto & GTA - often one price tag is one the piano, but they have other discounted price tag / list.

So I would try to check at first at local stores and try to negotiate the price.

In Toronto & area Robert Lowrey, The Piano Studio in Newmarket and probably Telep have Roland pianos.Only Robert Lowrey though will tell you the price over the phone.Few hundreds may not worth the trip to you.

BigKens - don't make this decision until you've played a Yamaha NU1 (or N1) or Kawai CS10 (if it is available in Canada). I saw the LX-15 just the other day. There's something, oh I don't know, cheap about it - the cabinet I mean. Just something indefinable but to my eyes inferior to the Yamaha NU1. And a plastic DP action - at that price?! Try the alternatives first...

[quote=EssBraceThere's something, oh I don't know, cheap about it - the cabinet I mean. [/quote] That's a prickly swipe at the OP's choice there EssBrace. The OP posted about other models already and intention to try the NU1.

I think the NU1 is a very good product, but is there inherent advantage of a modified upright action in the same way as the N2 or N3 with grand action and TRS?

I don't think that was prickly. But whilst he mentioned NU1 (he said he was curious about that and N1) he says he's pretty much decided. Well, has he tried N1/NU1 or not? His original post suggests he hasn't. He's tried "high end" Yamahas but clearly not those. The NU1 and the Avant Grand pianos have different sound engines and actions to high end Clavinovas so they are worth trying before spending $6400 surely? I'm only saying he should try them before deciding. I don't think there's an advantage in the upright action of the NU1 over the Avant Grand series. But the NU1 has newer samples and is a really nice looking little piano. The N1 has a grand piano action in it but maybe isn't such a good looking thing.

I checked with Roland dealers around Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto. While prices vary slightly, the biggest difference is the delivery cost. I'll try to negotiate with the store here and get the best price possible.

After further consideration, I decided that I'm just not a big fan of the styling of the Yamaha AvantGrand N1. I think it's mostly due to the lower portion of the back that is completely open except for the supports that attach to the pedals. The aesthetics of the N2 and N3 are better, but both of those are beyond my budget at this point.

I have to say I disagree that the LX-15 looks cheap. In fact, I think it looks very nice, though as with most pianos, I'm sure it's a fingerprint magnet.

I don't object to the look of the Roland at all, it's very nice - but when I studied one at close quarters it just looked a little bit flimsy. It gave me the impression of being more about look than substance.

From what I understand from other posts on this forum, it's still an upright action, much like the LX-15?

Absolutly not, the action are really differentI have owned a Roland with PHA3 action (same as in LX-15) and now I have a NU1The Roland action is really good, but the NU1 action is a real piano action, the are not comparable.By the way, you may like the Roland action,and even prefer it other the NU1, it only a matter of tasteI would say that it is really "harder" to play on the NU1 which requires same skills and technics than for a real upright pianoIf you prefer "easier" and lighter action, then the Roland is your choice.

Originally Posted By: BigKens

The LX-15 also has 6 speakers to the NU1's 2 speakers, so there may be an advantage in sound quality for people like me who will be using headphones only occasionally. â

That is probably right, but I can say that the sound system of the NU1 is pretty good (LX-15 is proably even better, but I have not tested it)

Both are essentially higher quality but niche products, so personal fit is key to your evaluation. I could provide a list of pros/cons but its better to match your wants than to compare.

How do you feel about the primary piano sound?They styles seem similar...is there an important detail we are missing?Are more sounds a bonus or central to your use? (NU1 has just 5 tones)

The NU1 is low-service but not no-service. For daily use, re-regulation would be after 1 year and then every 2-4 years based on other Yamaha uprights. It certainly works without regulation, but you lose the realistic response and connection to the sample, giving funny results. I've seen it on their Silent pianos.